Front support for shirt collar

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a specially shaped support device for insertion beneath shirt collars while the shirt is packaged or stored for sale or display purposes. The conventional thin plastic support is modified with protruding &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;bubbles&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; which when placed between the collar portion and the turned portion centered at the collar button of the shirt- acts as a front support on both sides of the middle point elevations for collar turns.

United States Patent [191 Taimisto 1 Sept. 25, 1973 [5 FRONT SUPPORT FORSHIRT COLLAR 3,565,301 2/1971 Mosser et al. 223/83 [76] Inventor: Tapiovolmar Taimisto, l piiri, 3,448,901 6/1969 Strasser et al. 223/83Kausala, Finland Primary Examiner-G. V. Larkin [22] Fled: 1971Anorney.lohn J. McGlew and Alfred E. Page [21] Appl. No.: 109,534

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data I Jan. 27 1970Finland 209 The a spec'auy shaped suppm vice for insertion beneath shirtcollars while the shirt is [52] US. Cl. 223/83 packaged or Stored forsale or display purposes The 51] Int. Cl. D06c 15/00 cnveminal thinP'asm supp is wdified with 58 Field of Search 223/71 s2-s4- bubbles whimwhe Placed between the 2/132 collar portion and the turned portioncentered at the collar button of the shirtacts as a front support on[56] References Chad both sides of the middle point elevations forcollar turns.

3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures FRONT SUPPORT FOR SHIRT COLLAR BACKGROUNDAND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A celluloid sheet generally is used as asupport for shirt collars in sales cartons, this support being formedwith a slit so that the support may be secured behind the topmost buttonof the shirt. When secured in position, the support is interposedbetween the neck band of the shirt and the turned-down collar, sometimesreferred to as the cape portion of the collar. Conventional supports ofthis type provide support mainly only against the bending of the shirtcollar in a vertical direction. Two of the above-mentioned celluloidsheets also have been used. By joining the two sheets together, it hasbeen attempted to obtain the collar portion as well as a correspondingsupport construction, in order to support the tip of the shirt collar.This known expedient only partly supports the tips of the collar and is,in an esthetic sense, not a very acceptable solution for use in salescartons. The tips of a shirt collar also have sometimes been protectedagainst curving by placing pieces of plastic foam material beneath thetips, and spiral spring devices also have been used. While these devicesstretch the points of the collar, the spring devices prevent curving ofthe shirt collars. However, the known devices have not solvedsatisfactorily the problems associated with the storages andtransportation of shirts before use.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a front support forshirt collars which will meet the requirements better than heretofore,and which can be manufactured at low cost and which, as such, and inconnection with the shirt, will fulfill the high esthetic requirements.

In accordance with the invention, a front support for shirt collars,arranged to be interposed between the neck band portion of the collarand the turned-over or turned-down portion, is provided, in the usualmanner, with a central slit by means of which the support may be securedover the topmost button of the shirt front. In the support according tothe invention, there are formed, on both sides of the middle slit andspaced somewhat therefrom, generally dome-shaped elevations or bossesprojecting outwardly and engaging the turned-down portion of the collar.Preferably, the shirt collar front support in accordance with theinvention is formed of plastic sheet material, and the elevations,bosses or domes are formed in a sheet of the plastic material by moldingor pressing.

For an understanding of the principles of the inven tion, reference ismade to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the Drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the shirt support of theinvention as positioned over the top-most button of a shirt front and asinterposed between the neck band portion of the collar and theturned-down cape or wing portions thereof;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the, support from the front, shownslightly obliquely upwardly, and without illustration of the shirtcollar;

FIG. 3 illustrates the profiles of the support at the various linesindicated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view illustrating the inventioncollarsupport in position and with a flap or wing of the collar foldedback to expose a portion of the support;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the support;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the support, shown slightly obliquelyupwardly;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the support;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the support; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the support as seen looking obliquelyfrom the front and from one side thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring in detail to thedrawings, a collar support M embodying the invention is illustrated ashaving a central slit I-I arranged to mount support M on the topmostbutton N of a shirt E having a collar including a neck band portion Sand a folded-down or cape portion P ending in tips L. On both sides ofstrip H, support M has an unelevated or essentially planar ornondeformed portion T, as best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7. The support M,after being mounted behind the button M, through the medium of thecentral slit H, is arranged to be interposed between the neck bandportion S of the collar and the tum-down portion P of the collar.

On opposite sides of the essentially planar portion T, support M, whichis preferably a plastic sheet, is formed with elevations K in the natureof at least partially hemi-spheroidal bosses, domes, or the like. Forready reference, these elevations will hereinafter be termed bubbles.Bubbles K start rather abruptly from the peripheral portions of theplanar portion T, at the boundary lines R. The angle of the elevationsof the bubbles K decreases toward the edges of the bubble support. Thehighest elevation of the bubbles K is thus adapted to support the tipportions L of the shirt collar from beneath.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, FIG. 2 illustrates sectionlines A-B, C-D, E-F, G-H, and I-J, and FIG. 3 illustrates the respectivecontours along the section lines. Thus, it will be noted that the areaintersected by section A-B is essentially planar, the area intersectedby section line C-D bulges somewhat out wardly, the area intersected bysection line E-F bulges sharply outwardly, the area intersected bysection line G-H has a reduced curvature, and the area intersected bysection line IJ has a further reduced curvature.

The collar support, which may also be called the bubble supportpreferably is formed of colored or uncolored plastic film or plasticsheet material of a composition which softens by heating and hardensafter colling while maintaining the shape imparted thereto during theheating phase. The collar support is produced by preparing a form thatcorresponds to the shape of the desired finished support. For example, avacuum-forming machine sucks the heated plastic material over a form,and thus adapts the heated plastic material to the contours of the form.

The collar support embodying the invention is used for packaging anddisplaying shirts provided with turndown collars, as shown in FIGS. 1and 4, particularly while the shirts are being folded and packaged. Thesupport is placed between the collar neck band portion S and thetum-down portion P of the collar, as best seen again in FIGS. 1 and 4,with the slit H mounting support M in position with respect to thetopmost button N of the shirt E. On both sides of slit H, the planarportion T lies against the shirt front and button N serves to retain thesupport in place. The elevations or bubbles K start symmetrically fromplanar portion-T in spaced relation to central slit H, and are curved asindicated more particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3. The varying degrees ofcurvature are also clearly apparent from FIG. 7. The height and shape ofthe elevations or bubbles K can be selected for each type of turn-downcollar, by changing the contours, height, or other features of the formused to manufacture the collar support. The highest portions of theelevations or bubbles K are situated under the tip portions L, as shownin FIGS. 1 and 4, when support M is positioned in the shirt collar.

The elevations or bubbles K prevent harmful curving and wrinkling of themost sensitive and important portions of the shirt collar, that is, thetips L of the tumdown portion T of the collar, particularly in theperiod between manufacture and actual use of the shirt. In addition, theshirt support M, having the bubbles or elevations K, provides supportagainst sinking of the front portion P of the collar, and thus maintainthe elevated position of the entire collar with relation to the front ofthe packaged shirt. The required tenacity of the collar support, havingthe elevations K is due to the arching of the elevation surfaces indifferent directions which, due to the above-mentioned double-supportcharacter, makes the invention collar support particularly suitable tofulfill the requirements mentioned above.

The collar support of the invention is used with articles of clothingprovided with turn-down collars, mainly shirts, when the latter areplaced in sales or display cartons. The support is placed between theneck band portion of the collar and the turn-down portion thereof. Inaddition, the support is secured in position by virtue of the slit H incooperation with the topmost shirt button N. Needless to say, the collarsupport of the invention also can be used after a shirt has been washed.

As mentioned above, the support embodying the invention may bemanufactured of a plastic sheet of suitable thickness, for example bymeans of a vacuumforming machine which heats, softens, and applies avacuum to the plastic sheet to deform the same to the desired contours.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the principles ofthe invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A front support for a shirt collar having a neck band portion and aturn-down front portion, having tips, joined at a folded edge, thecollar being buttonable at the topmost button of the shirt front, saidfront support comprising a sheet of material insertable between the neckband and turn-down portions of the collar and having a central slitcooperable with said topmost button to position said support; said sheethaving at least partially hemi-spheroidal preformed edges of saidcentral slit and having a substantially planar portion between said atleast partially hemi spheroidal elevations and formed with said slit,and supporting said collar tips at points paced downwardly from thefolded edge of the collar, against curving and wrinkling during at leastpackaging and display of the shirt.

2. A front support for a shirt collar, as claimed in claim 1, in whichsaid material is a moldable plastic composition material.

3. A front support for a shirt collar, as claimed in claim 1, in whichsaid elevations start abruptly from said planar portion with the anglesof the elevations decreasing toward the outer edges of said frontsupport. =l

1. A front support for a shirt collar having a neck band portion and aturn-down front portion, having tips, joined at a folded edge, thecollar being buttonable at the topmost button of the shirt front, saidfront support comprising a sheet of material insertable between the neckband and turn-down portions of the collar and having a central slitcooperable with said topmost button to position said support; said sheethaving at least partially hemi-spheroidal preformed edges of saidcentral slit and having a substantially planar portion between said atleast partially hemi-spheroidal elevations and formed with said slit,and supporting said collar tips at points paced downwardly from thefolded edge of the collar, against curving and wrinkling during at leastpackaging and display of the shirt.
 2. A front support for a shirtcollar, as claimed in claim 1, in which said material is a moldableplastic composition material.
 3. A front support for a shirt collar, asclaimed in claim 1, in which said elevations start abruptly from saidplanar portion with the angles of the elevations decreasing toward theouter edges of said front support.